


Riddle Me This

by Quarantinevibes



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Logic | Logan Sanders, Caring Logic | Logan Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Angst, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders-centric, Dreams and Nightmares, Drowning, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Logan Sanders, Injured Remus Sanders, Intrulogical, Logic | Logan Sanders-centric, M/M, Nyctophobia, Protective Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Puzzles, Remus speaks French, Riddles, Stargazing, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, and Wordplay oh my!, background Roceit, descriptions of nightmares, hyperventiliating, lots of nerdy puns, more like begruding aquaintances, well less enemies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25095514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quarantinevibes/pseuds/Quarantinevibes
Summary: Thomas employs Logan to help him wake up out of a troubling dream. However, the journey through the dreamscape and to Thomas is a long one and everyone is surprised when Logan chooses Remus to accompany him on the quest.With the dreamscape full of puzzles and riddles, will the two of them be able to reach Thomas as each dream tests their minds…and their hearts?Complete!
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 1033
Kudos: 526





	1. Dream of Lucidity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Logan's POV  
> Notes: VERY mild adult humor

Logan sighed.

Rare as it seemed to be these days, Thomas was completely on schedule. His sleep time was averaging around 6-8 hours a day, he was making sure to cook healthy meals for himself, and he was even following an exercise challenge set for the next month. In addition to his personal health, he was on time with all of his meetings and had yet to miss a deadline. Yes, everything was going just as planned.

Except.

“It’s the weirdest freakin’ thing,” Thomas groaned from his position on the couch and waved his hand in the air, “I’m, like, just stuck in one place and it’s like I’m awake but I’m not but I am but I’m not but I am but-”

Thomas continued like that for some time, Remus began to bounce to the rhythm of it.

Thomas was having trouble with dreams. He was experiencing a strange phenomenon where he would be lucid while dreaming, but unable to control anything. Thereby, getting effectively ‘stuck’ in the dream which became more and more disturbing as time passed. He called all of the sides in to discuss the issue, but they kept getting…sidetracked.

“Would you stop with the bouncing?” Virgil sneered, but Remus only bounced more vigorously, adding in hand motions and turning the lamp into a blood-red disco ball. He flipped Virgil off.

“N-now kiddo,” Patton started hesitantly, “we gotta focus up here. Thomas is having a real issue.”

“Is he, though?” Logan asked, frowning, “he’s up to date on his work, eating clean, and sleeping enough. I don’t understand why you can’t just ignore the dream,” he asked, focusing back to Thomas.

“It’s just,” Thomas said, sitting up, “It’s weird, Logan. It throws my whole day off.”

“Last time Thomas looked this disturbed it was…” Roman started and trailed off, glancing at his brother who put his hands up.

“Hey, now I won’t deny that I keep Thomas up with my fun little creations and fantasies-”

“You once asked what it would be like if all his teeth were replaced with beetles,” Roman said.

“Right. Like I said, fun little creations. And I’m damn good at it too, but unfortunately Thomas has to be conscious for me to affect him. While my ideas may sometimes pop into his dreams, I don’t control those.”

Logan nodded his head a bit.

“The Duke is right.”

“He is?” Virgil asked.

“I am?” Remus blinked.

Logan turned to Thomas.  
“We are manifestations of your conscious personality. We can’t usually physically visit your dreams, but,” he tilted his head, “it’s a bit skewed in the case of lucid dreaming. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage.”

Thomas stood up, “Ooh, you have an idea? Heck yeah, logic me up!” he cheered. Everyone stared at him.

“What the heck was that?” Roman asked.

“Eh,” Thomas shrugged, “I don’t know. Thought I could use a new catchphrase for when Logan provides exposition. Make things more exciting.”

“What could be more exciting than learning something new?” Logan asked.

“Oh I can think of several things that _me faire exciter_ ,” Remus purred, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You know French?” Logan asked.

“Seriously, how do you know more languages than I do?” Thomas asked with a pout. 

“Maybe if you stopped avoiding the Duolingo owl, you could _actually_ learn a new language,” Janus said.

“Have you seen that thing?” Virgil asked, serious expression on his face, “pure evil.”

“Aw, I think he’s just a little misunderstood,” Patton said. Virgil summoned a picture of the owl and showed it to Patton.

“Yeah, ok. Maybe not.”

“Everyone,” Logan groaned, not at all surprised that it only took a few minutes for the conversation to dissolve, “we are getting off track.”

“Well would you just spit it out then Dr. Who Cares?” Remus said.

“Why would I want to spit? Not only is that unhygienic, it wouldn’t serve to further the discussion.”

Remus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “He’s always like this?” he asked the room,

“You see, Thomas,” Logan said, ignoring Remus’s grumbling, “According to a 2009 sleep study by doctors Voss, Holzmann, Tuin, and Hobson, lucid dreaming can be thought of as a hybrid state of consciousness. Lucid dreaming can be triggered manually on the outside, or it can be experienced by individuals for no particular reason.”

“Wonderful,” Thomas grumbled, “But I thought lucid dreaming is like, supposed to be fun?”

“Yes! Soaring above the clouds like a bird! Saving royalty and reaping the rewards!” Roman cheered and Thomas pointed to him.

“Yeah! Like that!”

“Well, Thomas, some people have varying degrees of lucidity. However, if you find yourself in a dream that makes you uncomfortable, you can employ logic to either increase your lucidity or shake yourself out of the dream by identifying the parts that misalign with reality.”

Thomas blinked, rummaged through his pockets, and tossed Logan a coin. Logan looked at it.

“Wha-?”  
“It’s a dime! Get it? ‘Cause I’m employing you!”

Logan groaned as Patton guffawed.

“Oh, Thomas, you’re a dime!”

Virgil snorted.

“Well Pat, you’re certainly not a dime a dozen yourself!” Thomas replied.

“Please, please stop,” Logan groaned and the two of them turned back to Logan, sheepish smiles on their faces.

“Ok, ok. So what does that mean? You can get me out of that weird ‘stuck’ state when I’m dreaming?”

Logan nodded thoughtfully, “In theory. Usually we don’t have access to your dream states. However, your lucid dreaming could provide an entryway.”

“Alright cool, so problem solved,” Virgil said, “Logan will wake Thomas up from the dream, Thomas will figure out how to deal with it in the future, and then he can go on with his life.”

“Right. Though I will need one side to accompany me into the dreamscape. Because of my nature, I tend to deconstruct dreams rather quickly. If I do this before reaching Thomas, I could get lost.”

“So you need a dreamer,” Roman said, straightening, “well then look no furthe-”

“Remus, are you free to accompany me tonight?”

Roman scoffed and Remus looked up.

 _“Remus_?” Roman asked, “wha-the dream scape is something I’ve longed to explore! Surely you misspoke.”

“I rarely misspeak.”

“We-wha-why Remus??” Roman asked again.

“Yeah,” Remus said, shifting, “Not that I have anything going on, but,”

“Thomas said his dreams can be very disturbing. Remus doesn’t falter in the face of such things and can thus be useful for stopping, finding, or resetting the dream.”

“You want him to act as your nightmare bloodhound?” Janus asked and Logan nodded.

“Something to that effect. Our objective is simple: find Thomas’s dream and wake him up.”

Logan looked again at Remus, waiting for his confirmation. A strange look passed over the duke’s face, akin to suspicion. Perhaps hesitation? It was gone quickly though, and Remus grinned at him.

“Woof, woof,” he said with a wink, “I will warn you though, Logan, adventure with me and you’re bound to get wet…dreams.”

“It is possible that the dreamscape could hold a body of water or rain. I’ll pack an umbrella.”

Remus blinked at him for a moment, the others were busy holding in their laughter. Logan wasn’t sure what the source of their amusement was, but before he could ask, Remus groaned.

“Let’s just go,” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References for this chapter!  
> What Remus says: 'me faire exciter' in French, while it sounds like something to do with excitement, actually means 'makes me horny'
> 
> Duolingo owl: a mascot for a language teaching program, feared by the users as it constantly fills their inbox


	2. The Dream Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus's POV  
> -Remus and Logan start their journey-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!  
> Thank you for deciding to read this story! I hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

“Is that all you’re bringing?”

Remus shifted and tossed his mace from hand to hand before pointing it at Logan who had a large back pack so stuffed that the nerd was practically falling over.

“I like to pack light,” Remus replied.

It was nighttime and Thomas had just gone to bed which meant that Remus and Logan needed to make their way into Thomas’s dreamscape. Remus waved his hand and a large, black wooden door appeared in front of them. Ivy vines creeped along its edges and mysterious dark stains outlined the wooden pattern. Soft music began playing and Logan wrinkled his nose.

“Is…is that Hillary Duff?”

Remus groaned, “That was Roman’s addition to the dream door,” he explained as ‘What Dreams are Made of’ played around them. Remus looked down at the knob.

Normally, he and Roman couldn’t go in. They could only influence the dreams from the outside. Whatever happened in Thomas’s mind after that became a mix of that influence and his own memories. Looking now, though, the padlock that usually sealed the door was popped open.

“Well, no time like the present!” Remus cheered and threw open the door, but before he could go through, Logan held him back.

“Wait!” he said, closed the door, and pointed at Remus, “Before we enter, as one of Thomas’s creative sides, do you have any information about the dreamscape? We should gather some background information before entering.”

Remus groaned and sat down on the floor.

“Ughhh, but that takes all the _fun_ out of it,”

Logan raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not trying to be _fun_ , I’m trying to be effective. Now, please answer the question.”

Remus furrowed his eyebrows. There it was again: that strange tone that Logan had. As if he expected Remus to be helpful. As if he expected anything of Remus at all.

“Well,” Remus said and tapped his chin with his foot, “I know that we won’t go into Thomas’s target dream right away. The dreamscape is unstable like that.”

Logan nodded, producing a notebook out of his back and scribbling something down. Remus blinked. Was Logan taking notes? On what _he_ was saying?

“Uh,” Remus started again, not sure why he was suddenly feeling uncomfortable, “And, I’m also pretty sure we can’t conjure in there.”

Logan nodded and pointed to his pack, “Yes, I figured as much. Additionally, because people tend to have several dreams in one night, and Thomas’s lucid dreaming happens a few hours before he wakes up, we’ll probably have to go through several dreams before reaching the correct one. Anything else?”

Remus shook his head. Logan put his notebook back into his pack and opened the door. The inside shimmered lightly like a holographic film. Logan poked a finger through it experimentally, then his whole hand, then a foot, then-

Remus rolled his eyes, grabbed Logan, and jumped in.

The wind whistled in his hair and Remus grinned as they fell towards what looked like an enormous swath of cotton. Logan landed like an upturned turtle and Remus laughed as he struggled to roll over with his giant back pack. By the time Logan managed to get to his feet, Remus had already doubled over with laughter.

“Laugh all you want,” Logan said, “But I assure you that we will be prepared for anything,” he finished and shouldered his pack. Remus wiped tears from the corners of his eyes and got up.

“Whatever you say, nerd.”

Remus looked around and kicked at what they were on experimentally. The sky above them was a bright, blinding blue. Remus looked ahead of him, the white swathes went on and on, catching the light and looking incredibly fluffy.

“Ooh, I get it,” Remus exclaimed and ran to the edge of the swathe. There was nothing below them, as if the dream had not rendered fully. Remus peered down, “we’re on a cloud!”

Logan frowned and looked over the edge as well.

“But that’s impossible. Clouds are made of water and air, there’s no way it would be able to hold any-”

Remus whipped around and caught Logan’s hand before the logical side fell through the sudden appearance of a hole in the cloud. Remus put a finger to his lips as he hoisted Logan back up.

“May want to keep your reasoning to yourself for now, if you deconstruct the dream before we get to Thomas, who knows what’ll happen,” Remus said with a wink, plopping Logan back down onto the solid surface. Logan blinked and straightened his pack.

“Right, yes. Thank you.”

Remus hummed as the two walked forwards, “Well, can’t have Thomas losing his logic, right?” he said, balancing himself on the very edge of the cloud and placing one foot in front of the other.

“Right,” Logan said, eyeing Remus’s balancing act, “Falling here will produce unknown, possibly dangerous consequences. We should both make an effort to be more careful.”

Remus laughed, staying on one leg for a moment before continuing, “Well, pretty sure no one will miss me if I fall. That’s the real reason you brought me instead of Roman, right?”

Remus may have loved chaos, but he wasn’t an idiot. Logan needed a creative side to accompany him because, while neither brother had been in the dreamscape, they were probably the best equipped to handle what was in it. As soon as Logan asked _him_ to come, he figured there must have been an ulterior motive. It was so obvious that Remus wondered why Logan didn’t just say that too. It’s not like the others would have objected.

Logan frowned.

“I told you why I wanted you to come rather than Roman.”

“Right,” Remus said, “the dispensability is just an added benefit.”

Logan’s frown deepened. Remus wondered why the nerd, usually so straight-forward, was still continuing the charade.

“That’s not-”

_SCCRRRRAWWW_

Remus jumped back onto the cloud as a bright, neon green filled his vision. Logan tried to step back, but his backpack caused him to fall down. Remus looked up.

There, just in front of them, so large that it was difficult to see around it, was the mascot of famous, language teaching program: the Duolingo owl.


	3. The Dream of Clouds and Owls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO!!!  
> If you're reading this, it means that you've decided that the way this story is going is NOT ridiculous enough to deter you for reading so THANK YOU for continuing to read and for all your lovely comments and kudos! Judging from the comments last chapter, I'm glad to see that the fear of the duolingo owl is pretty universal 😂  
> Hope you enjoy the chapter! ;)

Logan usually liked owls.

Aside from being symbols of wisdom, they also had fascinating characteristics such as how their ear canals were shaped in a unique way for gathering soundwaves or how their arterial system has adapted so that they can turn their head around 270 degrees.

The owl in front of them ruffled itself angrily, turned its head around, twice (a full 720 degrees!), and glared at them.

Logan sighed. He’d have to update Thomas’s bird facts soon.

The owl stood tall, its neon green feathers reflecting the sunlight. On its stomach it had the word 'Owl' in glittering gold letters and a curious pattern: four arrows pointing away from each other.

“Left or Right, High or Low, Choose Correct, or Fall Below,” the owl boomed.

To his side, Remus shifted.

“What the fuck?” he asked.

“High or Low, Left or Right, Choose Correct, or Stay and Fight.”

“It, it seems to be asking us a riddle,” Logan said. Remus groaned and plucked Logan off the ground with surprising ease.

“Well, it sounds like it’s picking a fight which,” he unhooked his mace from his belt and grinned widely, “I am definitely here for.”

Remus ran towards the bird and brought down his mace.

Then fell backwards with the reverb.

“What the- is this thing made out of stone?” he said with a groan and got up. The owl narrowed its eyes at Remus and swiped its wing.

“Remus!” Logan yelled, dropping his bag and catching the duke’s arm before he could fall off the cloud.

Remus looked at Logan, eyes wide for a moment, before he hefted himself back up. He shook his fist.

“Oh it is _on_ bird brain!” he yelled, running towards it.

“Remus wait! We need to solve the riddle! I think it has to do with the arrows on its stomach!”

“Riddle schmiddle, if that’s the case, let’s just button smash!” he yelled, spun his mace around his wrist, side stepped the owl’s plunging beak, and hit the owl’s chest. Again, there was no sign that the owl felt it. Logan groaned in frustration.

“It said ‘choose correct or fall below’! We can’t take that chance!”

“ _We_ can’t, but _I_ can!” Remus grinned and was about the hit one of the arrows when Logan tackled him out of the way.

“What gives, nerd?”

“Thomas needs _both_ of us to solve his dilemma. Plus, there’s no telling whether we both will fall if we go about this incorrectly!”

Remus seemed to consider that second point. He shoved Logan off of him and stood up.

“Ugh, ok, fine,” he pushed Logan away as the bird dove towards him again. Logan landed on his butt.

“You think of the answer, I’ll keep the world’s ugliest highlighter busy!” Remus yelled and grabbed the bird’s foot before it could get to Logan. He managed to throw it over his shoulder, tossing it to the far side of the cloud.

“How are we supposed to solve your stupid riddle when you’re trying to eat us, asshole?!” Remus yelled. The owl opened its beak.

“Ask a ragman,” it boomed.

“Hey I resent that! I’m the _rat_ man,” Remus yelled, hitting the owl’s beak with the back of his mace. He let it fly forward before the wrist strap caught and spun the mace around his hand in an arc. If the impact had any effect, the owl didn’t show it.

“A rag man?” Logan muttered, “A rag man. A rag man,” why did that sound so familiar? Logan closed his eyes. If this was truly a riddle, it meant that there was something he was missing.

“Anytime now poindexter!” Remus called.

“I’m thinking!”

“Think faster!”

“That’s a physical impossibility!”

“So is an owl that weighs a metric ton, but here we are, Logan!”

Logan bit back a retort and instead ran through everything he knew about owls: they were mainly nocturnal, predatory, there were around 200 different species-

“C’mon nerd! Death by Duolingo is not the way I want to go out!”

Logan blinked.

Of course! This wasn’t just any owl. This was a mascot for a language program. Language, language, the riddle may have to do with-

“Remus!” Logan screamed at the side whose mace was now stuck in the owl’s mouth, “I know the answer! Hit the lower arrow on its stomach!”

“Why??” Remus screamed as the owl pulled its beak upwards and Remus went flying, landing next to Logan.

“Just trust me!”

Remus rubbed his head and nodded.

“How the heck are we going to get to its stomach though?” he asked, eyeing the rampaging bird.

“Perhaps throw something heavy at it?”

Remus nodded slowly, “But it has my mace so-”

Remus stopped, a smile creeped onto his face.

“You have an idea?” Logan observed.

“You’re not going to like it,” Remus said with a wink, not looking very contrite as he bolted towards where Logan’s precious backpack had been abandoned. The owl made its way towards him, talons outstretched, but Remus rolled out of its way, grabbed the bag, and chucked it. The pack hit the owl straight on, just at the low arrow.

The owl stopped. Remus’s mace dropped out of its mouth and Remus caught it.

“Uhhh,” Remus said and poked it. The owl turned its head around and around and around. Its eyes rolled back and its beak opened impossible wide.

Logan shivered at the sight.

Suddenly, the clouds below them began to vibrate with the owl. They surged, turning into a whirlpool, dragging in Logan and Remus. The owl screeched one more time, shimmered, and disappeared into the sky.

“Logan! Grab my mace!” Remus yelled, holding out the weapon to him. Logan grunted, they were being pulled into the center of the storm too quickly. He reached out, barely managing to grasp the hilt of the mace, before being sucked in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The answer to the 'riddle' will be revealed next chapter! 🤔🤔🤔


	4. The Dream of the Sunflower Prison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus's POV  
> -Remus and Logan find themselves in the next dream-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhHHHELLLOOOO!! 👋🏽👋🏽  
> Hope you're enjoying the story so far!! Logan has solved the riddle, now will he tell us the answer?
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter! ;)

Remus landed on something soft. His arm felt strangely heavy, though, heavier than his mace normally was. He pulled it towards him before realizing that Logan was at the other end.

“Ugh,” Logan said, sitting up and rubbing his head, “what-” his eyes widened. Remus looked around them.

They were sitting in the middle of a sunflower the size of Thomas’s living room. Its vibrant, yellow petals stuck out in all directions. They seemed to be moving through a field of similarly sized flowers. Above them, slim bars of grass rose around them and curled at the top, effectively trapping them from leaving the center of the flower.

Or it would. If Remus didn’t have a mace.

“Take this you overgrown weed!” Remus cheered and slammed the grass bar with his weapon. The bar, however, didn’t budge and Remus’s hand took all of the impact. Remus groaned and rubbed his wrists.

“Why is everything in this place so difficult to break,” Remus muttered with a pout. Logan looked around, Remus assume he was searching for his back pack which was nowhere to be found, then knelt down to inspect the grass cage.

“It’s unclear. But, uh, what happened to the owl?”

Remus shrugged, “You must have gotten the answer right and the dream shifted, otherwise we would have fallen into nothingness,” he raised an eyebrow at Logan, “Not that I particularly care, but how _did_ you know the answer?”

Logan stood up and pushed his glasses up with both hands, looking smug, a classic expression that Remus had seen him wear many times before.

“Well, after thinking about the Duolingo owl in the context of language, I realized it saying ‘a rag man’ was actually an anagram for, well, the word ‘anagram’.”

“Ohh,” Remus sang and twirled his mace, “you lost me.” Logan huffed.

“An anagram is a word made by rearranging the letters of another word. ‘A rag man’ rearranged is ‘anagram’.”

“That still doesn’t answer the riddle.”

“I’m getting to that, but you keep interrupting me.”

“I keep interrupting you because you’re not getting to the point!”

“You said you were lost. I simply provided an explanation for the question you posed.”

Remus titled his head. He had a point.

“Ok, fine,” Remus conceded, “so? Why was it the low arrow that we had to press?”

“Simple,” Logan said, adjusting his tie, “the word ‘owl’ is an anagram for ‘low’.”

Remus gaped.

“You got, you got all that from ‘a rag man’?”

Logan nodded. Remus shook his head.

“Damn. I know you’re supposed to be the smart side, but you’re a genius, Logan!”

Logan’s eyes widened and he blinked a few times. Then, slowly, a small smile and faint blush graced his face, an expression Remus had never seen before. It made his toes and fingertips tingle.

“Well, I wouldn’t have been able to think of the answer if the owl hadn’t been held back. The credit falls to both of us,” Logan said.

Remus squinted his eyes at Logan, but Logan didn’t seem to notice. He walked around the cage and pressed against the grass bars.

“It would seem that we are imprisoned in some sort of plant-based entrapment.”

Remus hummed and laid down. He wiggled his toes, trying to get that weird tingle to stop, “Yeah. Just add a nucleus and you could call it a plant cell.”

Logan’s eyebrows flew up, he fixed Remus with a strange look.

“Did- was that a biology-based plant pun?”

Usually, Remus would cackle and nod. Logan hated puns, he knew that, which made it more fun to make them. But Logan’s expression didn’t look annoyed. Remus nodded and when Logan didn’t look away, Remus huffed.

“What?”

Logan blinked, “I just- it was unexpected.”

Remus raised an eyebrow, got up, and walked to the other side of the cage. He raised his mace and began rattling it against the cage walls.

“What, you’re the only one who can like science?” he sneered over the noise.

Logan didn’t respond, his eyes only got wider. Which was normal when dealing with Remus. People’s eyes widened in fear as he approached them all the time, the blood vessels would stand out against their sclera, their pupils pinpricks.

It wasn’t fear, though, in Logan’s eyes. Remus couldn’t tell _what_ it was and that was beginning to annoy him.

“Science is the _grossest_ subject after all,” Remus said, not able to stand the silence from the other side, “besides, I’m the side tasked with creating horrific scenes. Things are much scarier with specific details. For example,” he whirled around and pointed his mace at Logan, “what’s scarier? Saying someone got their heart ripped out or saying that, as you reach into their chest, your knuckles squelch against the layer of fat, you crack apart the ribs and pull the heart out of its sac, bits of lung and membrane still attached?”

Logan used his finger to calmly point the mace away from him, “Well, if I felt emotions such as fear, I would say the second one.”

Remus rolled his eyes and went back to rattling the cage. Logan watched him for a bit.

“We should find a way to break this…cell wall,” he said. Remus scoffed and turned around.

“Yeah, what do you think I’ve been trying to do? Besides, it’s not a wall it’s more-” Remus stopped, cutting himself off when he saw Logan’s expectant expression. Remus’s jaw dropped.

“You-you punned!” Remus exclaimed. Logan scratched at his temple.

“It’s not so silly when it’s science-based,” Logan said.

“Well,” Remus said with a grin, “I sure hope ribo-somebody shows up soon.”

The corner of Logan’s mouth twitched.

“Or our cyto-skeletons will be all that’s left of us!” Remus finished.

A pause. Remus felt his heart sink. Was the image of their forgotten skeletons too graphic a joke? 

But then, a strange sound filled the cage. Remus looked towards the other side, his mouth agape.

Logan was _giggling_.

His eyes scrunched up happily and his shoulders shaking slightly as he laughed. The weird tingle in Remus’s toes was back full force as he wondered why Logan didn’t do that more often.

Suddenly, Logan and Remus both stumbled as the flower came to an abrupt stop. It began to lower itself closer and closer to the ground, as if its stem were shrinking, until Logan and Remus were eye level with what looked to be human-sized bug people in an outdoor throne room. The tall flowers surrounded them, looking more like trees at this height and the ground was covered with pale green dirt.

One of the bug people walked forwards. Its skin was light purple and decorated with gold symbols. Its eyes, large, bright, and curious, were trained on them as it spread its arms and a pair of orange and black wings sprouted from its back.

It cleared its throat, making a squeaky, almost cute sound.

“Death to the intruders!” it cheered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Biology references in this chapter:  
> cell walls, ribosomes, and cytoskeletons are all structures in a plant cell so that's what the punning was referring to :)


	5. The Dream of the Butterfly Courtroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's POV
> 
> -Logan and Remus meet their captors-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Button to show all my love for the person reading: exists  
> Me: *FRANTICALLY SPAMMING AND HITTING SAID BUTTON*
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!! Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

Logan cursed softly under his breath.

He should have known not to get distracted. They were in unknown territory, they didn’t have time to be joking around. No matter how surprisingly clever those jokes may have been.

“I haven’t reached my daily bug squashing quota, so I suppose we can start with you,” Remus said, putting his face against the cage, “now kindly bring your face here so I can smash it with my mace.”

The strange bug hybrid did not falter. They simply waved their hand and both Logan’s and Remus’s hands were bound with the same material as the cage. Another flick of their hands and the cage unfurled around them. The blades of grass rolled on themselves and became a part of the dirt when they reached the ground. Remus lurched forwards, but they were both suddenly strapped into chairs woven out of hay. Logan coughed lightly.

“What he meant to say was, on what grounds do you issue this death sentence?”

The bug hybrid squinted their eyes. They sauntered towards a throne made of flower petals with tiny birds flitting around it and crossed their legs.

“Firstly,” the bug-hybrid said, “You shall address me by my proper name: Monarch. Monarch Butterfly, secondly,” their eyes grew narrower, “I already told you the reason for the sentence: intruding. You are from the consciousness. You have no business in the dreamscape.”

Logan blinked.

“You- you know who we are?”

Monarch flicked something from their fingers and nodded, “Logic and Creativity. You think you two are such big hotshots? Come sauntering in here, into _my_ domain, like you own the place?” Monarch leaned forwards and pointed at Remus, “ _You_ I could maybe excuse but _you,”_ they pointed to Logan, “You have no place here.”

Remus growled from next to Logan, “Don’t point fingers unless you want me to bite them off,” he said. Monarch clapped.

“Well, off with their heads,” they said casually. The other bug people of the bug court cheered. A mantis-hybrid with blades attached to her arms came forwards.

“Wait!” Logan yelled before she could swing down, “Wait! We _do_ belong here, at least for right now!”

The mantis-hybrid looked towards Monarch who held up their hand. They looked at Logan in question.

“Thomas has been dreaming lucidly for a few days now. It’s how we were able to enter the dreamscape. He wants us to help him out of a…nightmare of sorts.”

Monarch seemed to consider what Logan had said. Logan felt his shoulders slump a bit. No matter who or what they were in the mind, they were a part of _Thomas_. He had the final say.

“Lucid dreaming, huh?” Monarch said, rubbing their chin, “I suppose that explains your presence.”

Monarch called over one of their bug-advisors and the two began to whisper to each other. They waved and the mantis-hybrid put down her blade.

“Alright, I shall allow you safe passage through this dream on one condition.”

Remus groaned and Logan almost groaned with him.

Monarch lifted up their forearm and a miniature bird flew to it.

“You see, my poor pet rooster Pierre has gone and gotten himself lost. One of his favorite spots is the well, a little ways from here. I suspect the dear has gone and fallen down it. Rescue my rooster Pierre and I will grant you safe passage.”

Monarch waved and Remus’s chains came undone. He unclipped his mace from his belt and launched himself forwards.

“I have a better idea, let us go to the next dream or I’ll rip off your wings and display them in a science museum.”

Monarch clicked their tongue and the mantis-hybrid brought her blade to Logan’s neck. Logan may or may not have squeaked a little. Remus whipped around.

“Ah, ah,” Monarch said, “One wrong move and Logic’s head goes rolling.”

Remus blinked. Logan could practically see him vibrating with anger which made sense. Remus was, to a certain extent, Impulse. Trying to control him never boded well.

To Logan’s surprise, Remus lowered the mace.

“Fine,” he growled, “we’ll get your stupid bird.”

Monarch smiled.

“No ‘we’. Just you. Logic will stay here as insurance that you won’t try anything,” they eyed the mace, “violent.”

Logan gulped. Sitting in a room full of hybrid-bugs that looked excited for a public execution did not sound…pleasant.

Remus narrowed his eyes, “Listen here you bug-eyed freak. Let him go or lose a limb.”

Monarch put their hands up, “I assure you we won’t harm him. That is, so long as you are able to bring back Pierre. The well in just up that path,” Monarch pointed in front of them, “Now listen carefully: To find the bird in the well, you can’t succeed on just your might. Proceed wisely or lose your life.”

Remus gaped.

“I- hold up is that _another_ riddle? What is up with this place?!”

Monarch chuckled and made a shooing motion.

“No, no, wait,” Remus looked around, “I,”

He was looking at Logan, eyes wide with something foreign. Logan wasn’t good at emotions, but it almost looked like the duke was floundering.

“Look, if you want me to smash the well or something, I’ll do it, but a _riddle_? C’mon, you can’t seriously expect me to take on something like that. Let Logan go!”

Monarch didn’t respond. They only continued their shooing motions.

Logan shifted. It was true that, when it came to a riddle, Logan was probably the better of the two to tackle the problem. But these bug-people seemed to have a grudge against Logan, perhaps because of his ability to deconstruct dreams. Remus was their only option.

“Logan,” Remus started, “I can’t-”

Logan tilted his head. The other side looked almost panicked. He needed encouragement. Ah, that was normally Patton’s territory.

“It,” Logan started, surprised when Remus locked eyes with him, “It’s ok Remus. You’re perfectly capable of solving a riddle. And when you do, we’ll be able to continue. Don’t, uh,” Logan coughed lightly, “don’t let this situation bug you.”

Remus blinked as Logan waiting for the rather silly pun to register. Remus let out a bark of laughter, his shoulders relaxing almost instantly.

“Yeah, yeah, ok. Whatever nerd. I’ll be back,” he said with a wave before taking the path out of the throne room clearing. Logan nodded in satisfaction. The pun seemed to have had the desired effect.

Perhaps silly jokes had their place after all.


	6. The Dream of the Royal Rooster Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter in which most of the dialogue is between Remus and a rooster
> 
> Remus's POV  
> Notes: mild adult humor, swearing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you're only able to keep track of the days because of TV, fanfic, and/ or Chloe Ting 🙋🏽🙋🏽
> 
> Thanks for keeping me bound to the temporal realm everyone and thank you for all your kudos and comments!! Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

Remus was really, _really_ starting to hate birds.

He kicked at a small pebble on the path as he marched forwards. This was stupid. This was so _incredibly_ stupid. Why did he have to be the one to find this stupid bug thing’s stupid bird that fell in a stupid well? Why did he feel so stupidly uneasy leaving Logan behind?

Logan was Thomas’s logic. Thomas needed his logic. Without it, Remus was just reduced to random screaming. Horror without logic was just messy and cheap. Yeah. That was it. Remus needed to make sure Thomas’s logic was safe so that Remus’s functions wouldn’t be compromised.

It definitely had nothing to do with how Logan basically entrusted his life to _Remus_ of all sides. Or with the fact that Logan’s giggle was still bouncing around in his brain. No. Nope. Nothing at all.

Remus groaned and shook his head. He could just make out the well up ahead of him and he ran towards it.

The well was just a simple brick structure with each brick having one of five bug patterns on them: a bee, a lady bug, a worm, a beetle, or an ant. The bricks jutted out in different capacities, meaning it would be pretty easy to climb up and down it.

“Co?” came a noise from the well and Remus peered down.

A rooster looked back up at him.

“Coco!” said the rooster.

“Fuck you,” said Remus.

There was no bucket or string around, so climbing down seemed to be Remus’s only option. Remus sighed. He wasn’t sure what any riddle had to do with this, but he might as well just start climbing.

Remus put his hand on one of the worm bricks and was about to heft himself up when-

_Crracckk_

Remus flinched and drew his hand back. The brick he had touched crumbled before his eyes and the entire well shook and broke in different places.

“COo!” the rooster crowed worriedly.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,” Remus grumbled and put his hand on another brick.

“Ah! Fuck! Dammit!” Remus swore when the brick glowed bright red with heat. The well shook again, breaking down even further.

“Cocorico!” said the rooster. Remus groaned and flopped backwards onto the dirt. He closed his eyes.

“Ok. Ok, so this obviously has something to do with the stupid riddle. What was it Wingsmcgee said? To find the bird in the well, you can’t succeed on just your might. Proceed wisely or lose your life?”

Remus was silent for a moment.

“Aggh,” he yelled, scratching up his hair, “what the fuck does that even mean?!” he sat up, “Ok. Ok come on Remus. You don’t know why, but Logan is counting on you. Think like Logan, c’mon. You can do this. Bird in a well. Bird in a well,”

A few minutes of silence passed. Remus screamed again. He hit one of the bricks with his mace. It erupted and the well broke down even more.

“No! Shit! _Ugh_ ,” he started pacing, “ok. Ok what would Logan do?” Remus straightened and put up a finger, “Roosters are adult male chickens also known as cockerels or cocks,” Remus giggled, but then schooled his face into a neutral expression, “Roosters don’t have a penis, despite the fact that they are giant cocks attitude wise.”

“Coo!” protested the rooster from the well.

“Ugh, I know!” Remus yelled back, “That’s definitely not what Logan would say, but,” he flopped angrily on the ground, “I’m not Logan. I can’t think like Logan. All I can think about is how we’re going to be stuck here because of a stupid cock in a well!”

“Cocorico!” the rooster said angrily.

“Shut up!” Remus said, “And why the fuck are you making that sound? Just because your name is French doesn’t mean you have to crow in French!”

Remus’s eyes widened.

“Wait. Cock’s in a well? Cock’s in a- oh no fucking way,” Remus reached out and touched one of the bricks with a ladybug on it. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited.

Nothing happened. Remus grinned. He hefted himself up and put his foot on another ladybug brick. Again, nothing happened. He continued like that, making sure to only touch the bricks with ladybugs until he reached the bottom of the well. The rooster eyed him curiously.

“Pierre,” Remus said, doing a small bow as he hung off the edge of the wall.

“Coo,” Pierre responded, doing a tiny bow with his head. Remus reached out and grabbed the rooster, placing it on his shoulders as he made his way back up the well wall.

“Fuck, it’s slippery down here,” Remus muttered, “shit!”

His hand slipped, grazing an ant brick. The well shook angrily and the brick that Remus’s foot was on crumbled.

“Aghh!” Remus screamed, feeling his foothold break as he was left swinging halfway up the well.

“Coco! Co!” Pierre screamed with him, ruffling his feathers.

“Shut it bird! Just give me a second!” Remus said. He took a deep breath in. The next ladybug brick was just a little bit above him. He used his right hand to boost himself up and grab it, but just as he did, the well crumbled further.

“Dammit, must have reached its limit,” Remus said, quickly grabbing the next brick. Around him, bricks fell off the wall. Large cracks appeared and small stone pieces fell back towards him.

“Almost there, almost-whoa!”

In his haste, he accidently grabbed a beetle brick. Spikes jutted out from the opposite well wall and Remus had to use his arms to pull him and Pierre out of the way before they got skewered. The well was practically in ruins now, but Remus could just make out the top.

“Cocorico!”

“Stop being such a backseat driver! I’m going as fast as I can!”

Finally, Remus grabbed the top of the well and vaulted him and the rooster out, just before the entire thing collapsed. Remus fell backwards onto the ground, panting for breath. Pierre pecked at him curiously and Remus waved him away.

“You,” he said between pants, “Are one lucky fucking rooster.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference in this chapter:  
> Cocorico is the french version of a cockle-doodle-doo ! Why is that important? You'll see in the next chapter ;)


	7. The Dream of the Ocean Below

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's POV  
> Notes: Descriptions of Injury, swearing, mild adult humor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all you wonderful readers!!  
> Thanks so much for reading! I really enjoyed going through the comments last chapter, congrats to those who got the riddle! :D 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

Logan shifted in his seat.

It had been a while since Remus had ventured out and Logan’s position had begun to get incredibly uncomfortable. The restraints on his wrists dug painfully into his skin. The hay poked his back and his legs, but he couldn’t scratch the spots.

Monarch tapped their fingers along the throne.

“Well, well Logic. It seems as if Creativity has abandoned you,” they crowed. Logan raised an eyebrow.

“He’ll be back,” Logan said and Monarch scoffed.

“How can you be so sure?”

Logan titled his head at the question.

“Because he said so.”

Monarch blinked at that, then started laughing. Logan frowned. He did not like being laughed at.

“Oh, oh Logic,” they said, wiping at their eyes, “did you not entertain the thought that Creativity was lying?”

“No,” Logan said, eyeing the blade of the mantis-hybrid, “If he was going to leave, he simply would have said it. Remus is not a liar.”

Monarch hummed.

“And who is a liar, in your mind?”

Logan considered the question for a moment.

“Someone who wears a bowler hat,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“Wha-” Monarch started, but was interrupted by a loud shout from behind Logan.

“Hey bug bitch!” screamed the voice. Something white flew over Logan’s head and landed in Monarch’s lap, “usually people give me dinner before asking me to grab their cock, but I’ll make an exception just this once.”

Logan allowed himself a small smile as Remus sauntered up to the throne.

“Now let him go or I’ll make good on that science museum idea,” he growled.

Monarch held eye contact for a minute, the entire throne room silent, before laughing lightly and waving their hand. Logan’s restraints unwound and Logan got up while rubbing his wrists. The bruises that mottled them looked like an abstract painting punctuated with beads of blood. 

Monarch hugged the rooster close to their chest and cooed.

“Ah, a deal’s a deal Creativity,” they waved their hands and a small portal appeared in front of them. The portal looked similar to what the dream door had been: shimmering as if made of holographic film.

“Despite your trespassing, I do wish you safe passage on your journey. Even you, Logic,” they eyed Logan, “It seems you aren’t so bad. A word of warning, though, the deeper you go into the dreamscape, the darker it gets,” they titled their head for a moment, “don’t hold your breath,” they said with a wink.

“Yeah, whatever, good bye forever,” Remus grumbled and grabbed Logan’s arm. Logan held in a whimper at that, his wrists were still sore from the shackles, and he let Remus lead them through the portal.

And they were instantly surrounded by water.

Logan’s eyes widened, he held in his breath as they sunk towards the floor of what looked to be a brightly lit ocean floor. Pink and purple corals dotted the white sand. Dark, navy blue rocks rose up in different directions and the light caught the scales of the schools of fish that swam by. Logan and Remus landed in a patch of kelp and Logan’s lungs were screaming in protest as he kept in his breath. Remus was beginning to look purple as the other side held his breath in as well.

_“Don’t hold your breath.”_

Logan raised an eyebrow. Could Monarch have been speaking literally?

He took an experimental breath in and oxygen rushed into his chest. He tapped Remus.

“It’s safe to breathe, Remus,” Logan said. Remus let out a gasp and breathed in.

“Well, would you look at that,” Remus said, taking in the scene around him, “We’re under the sea,” he grinned and started singing, “Under the sea! Under the sea! Everything’s better, down where it’s,” he turned to Logan and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, “wetter.”

Logan tilted his head. “While the ocean is usually wet, it would seem that we are staying dry. How perplexing.”

Remus groaned and rolled his eyes.

Despite being under water, it was fairly easy to walk along the surface. When Logan looked up, though, there was no ocean surface but a sky packed with stars in different shapes and sizes.

“Wow,” Logan breathed quietly, letting himself gaze for a moment longer before shaking his head. There was a task to get done, no time to waste. Though there was still a weight on his throbbing wrist. Logan looked down.

“You can let go of my hand now, Remus,” Logan said.

Remus turned, then let go of Logan’s hand so fast that it seemed as if he were burned.

“Sorry!” Remus squeaked, turning around and rubbing his neck.

“It’s quite alright,” Logan said, rubbing his aching wrists. Remus turned back around, narrowing his eyes at the slowly blackening skin. He knelt down and began ripping up patches of seaweed.

“Uh, Remus? What are you-”

Logan stopped when Remus took Logan’s hand in his own, in a much lighter fashion than before. He stood back up with a long piece of seaweed in his hands and carefully wrapped it around Logan’s wrists. The cool plant against his angry skin made Logan sigh.

“You should have said something when I grabbed your wrist, nerd. It must have hurt,” Remus grumbled.

Several things ran through Logan’s mind such as how seaweed has been used as a bandaging material for several centuries or how alginate from seaweed is a common pharmaceutical ingredient.

“Oh,” was all that he could say, unsure why his heart was beating so fast.

Remus grabbed another long strand of seaweed and did the same to Logan’s other hand. Logan had seen Remus punch through walls and screens, shatter glass and crack open conjured skulls. He could hardly believe that those same hands could be so…gentle.

“Thank you,” Logan said when he was done. Remus hummed and looked up.

“Well, we made it to the next dream. But what now?”

Logan rubbed his chin. Up until now, the way out of the current dream had simply showed up. They hadn’t had to search for the exit.

Logan felt his gaze drifting to the stars again, but shook his head. No. He couldn’t let himself get distracted. Instead, he turned to Remus.

“What was the answer to the riddle in the previous dream? Perhaps it can give us a clue.”

Remus hummed and told him what happened. How he had found the rooster in a well with different pattered bricks. How he found out that he could only touch the bricks with ladybugs in order to climb up and down the well. Remus was moving his hands wildly in excitement, his eyes glittering as he recounted the story.

“Why the ladybug?” Logan asked and Remus perked up.

“Well, it was less of a riddle and more of just word play,” Remus said, holding a finger up, “my first clue was the bird’s name was French. He also crowed in the French version of a ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’!”

Logan tilted his head, waiting for him to continue.

“At first, I tried solving the riddle like you had, all logically and stuff. But eventually, I just started insulting the rooster. Called him an arrogant cock, basically. And that’s when it clicked!”

Remus swam in a small circle.

“Cock’s in a well, say it fast enough and it sounds like ‘coccinelle’! The French word for ladybug!”

Logan blinked.

“That’s brilliant, Remus,” he said, fighting the strange urge to ask Remus to speak French again.

Remus’s ears turned red. He floated cross-legged and poked at his toes.

“Ah, well, I’m sure you could have figured it out faster.”

Logan shook his head.

“Falsehood. I don’t know French. And I certainly wouldn’t have insulted the rooster. It would have taken me a much longer time.”

Remus ducked his head and Logan tilted his. Had he said something to make the other side uncomfortable?

“Well,” Remus said after a minute and floated on his back, “there’s nothing here that has to do with French or ladybugs, so I doubt it’ll help us now.”

Logan frowned. Remus was awfully insistent on downplaying his own contributions. Logan was about to comment on it when Remus cheered.

“Logan! Logan look!”

Logan turned his head to where Remus was tossing something that looked like a ball from one hand to the other. He held it out. Logan watched as the ball slowly turned purple and unfurled to reveal eight tentacles. Logan bent over to look at it, then hid a small squeal of delight.

“An octopus!”

Remus nodded excitedly. Logan had almost forgotten than the octopus was Remus’s animal symbol, like how a snake was Janus’s and how spiders were Virgil’s.

Strangely enough, the octopus didn’t seem bothered by Remus’s handling. It simply let itself float from hand to hand.

“Did you know octopi have three hearts?” Remus asked.

Logan nodded, “They’re also known to be incredibly smart,” he said. Before that day, it wasn’t a trait Logan would have thought applicable to Remus, but the more Logan thought about it, the more he realized that he hadn’t really ever had a proper conversation with the duke before.

Remus hummed, “Sometimes, they eat their appendages when they’re bored.”

Logan blinked. He had not known that.

“It’s called autophagy,” Remus continued, “And it…” he trailed off when Logan hadn’t responded, “I guess that’s kind of gross,” he mumbled.

Logan shook his head, “And it what?” he prodded, wondering why Remus hadn’t finished his thought. Remus looked up, catching the octopus between his hands and staring at Logan.

“You don’t mind?”

“Don’t mind what?”

Remus stared at him for a moment longer before returning to his game of toss.

“Uh, nothing. It’s like a form of an extreme stress reaction,” he finished.

The octopus rested on Remus’s head and Logan poked at its arms, as if it were going to eat one at that moment.

“Well, this octopus doesn’t seem to be in danger of that. It seems rather docile.”

The octopus curled and uncurled its arms.

“I think it’s trying to tell you that it can be dangerous when it wants to be.”

Logan hummed, “I don’t doubt it. Octopi especially should be considered…armed and dangerous.”

Neither Logan nor the octopus was prepared for how Remus burst out laughing. A bright and cheerful sound that, illogically, seemed to fill up the entire ocean. If Logan hadn’t known better, he would think that the sound had somehow made everything brighter. The red anemones seemed to suddenly burst scarlet, the dust-brown fish shimmered golden, and flounders rippled with green-blue waves.

Of course, that would have been impossible. Logan chalked it up to a trick of the light.

The octopus drifted off of Remus as he floated and clutched at his sides.

“Sorry,” he said, wiping his eyes, “I’m just a _sucker_ for octopus jokes.”

Logan blinked. Sucker. Like octopus suckers. Logan snorted.

“They really kracken me up!” Remus piped up again and this time Logan couldn’t hold back his laugh.

The octopus had swum away, perhaps tired of their octopus jokes, leaving the two of them doubled over in laughter, floating at the bottom of the ocean.


	8. The Dream of the Stars Above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus's POV  
> ngl, this chapter's pretty freakin gay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there guys, gals, and nonbinary pals!  
> Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Thanks you so much for all your love and support, your comments and kudos light up my day 🥺💖
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter! ;)

Remus grinned widely.

The weird tingly feeling was back, but he didn’t even care this time because Logan was laughing. _Laughing_. Full bodied, doubled-over, tears in the eyes, laughing and Remus was slowly becoming addicted to the sound.

When they were done patronizing all octopus kind, Remus let out a sigh and went back to floating on his back. They didn’t really know where they were going, but Logan had recommended they pick a direction to start. And so, Remus floated aimlessly as Logan walked alongside him. After a minute, Remus spoke up.

“Hey Logan?”

Logan hummed.

“Why don’t you do that more often?” he asked.

Logan titled his head up at Remus in question.

“You know,” Remus said, getting into a cross-legged position while still bobbing along with the water, “Talking about the things you like? Joking?” _Laughing that incredibly pretty laugh?_

Remus shook his head, resolutely ignoring that last thought. Logan shuffled a bit. His face began to tilt upwards, towards the starry sky above them, but he shook his head and continued forwards.

“If I allow myself to joke, no one will take me seriously,” he said simply.

“I take you seriously,” Remus said. Logan snorted, but stopped when he saw the expression on Remus’s face.

“You do?” he asked, not unkindly, just curiously. Remus laughed.

“I kind of have to, nerd. You’re the only one that can reel me in before I _really_ start to negatively affect Thomas.”

Logan shifted again.

“You…you can’t control that?”

Remus shrugged.

“Part of my function is dark creativity, sure. But the intrusive thoughts part is kind of,” Remus put a hand his chin, “it’s kind of like Virgil’s relationship with anxiety. Good in certain doses, but debilitating to a certain degree. Just like Virgil doesn’t want to hurt Thomas, I-”

Remus stopped, flushing. What was he saying? Why was he telling all this to Logan?

“You what?” Logan asked softly and Remus groaned.

“Nothing,” Remus said, refusing to continue the conversation even at Logan’s small frown. The two continued on their way. Remus noticed Logan’s eyes drifting more and more towards the sky, but each time he shook his head and looked forwards. Remus floated to the ocean floor and put a hand on Logan’s shoulder, flinching a little when the other jumped back in surprise.

“Logan. What are you doing?” Remus asked.

“Uh,” Logan said with a blink, “walking forwards?”

Remus shook his head, “You keep looking at the sky, then shaking your head, then looking at the sky, then shaking your head. It’s giving me whiplash.”

Logan shifted in his spot.

“We don’t have time for stargazing, we must locate Thomas and the dream he keeps getting stuck in.”

“Mmmm,” Remus said, letting Logan walk forwards a bit before scooping him up.

“Remus!” Logan shrieked. Remus ignored it and instead jumped up so that the two of them were suspended in the water. Remus let go of Logan’s waist, but held onto his hand, making sure not to grab the spot where his wrists were wrapped in seaweed.

“Logan. We don’t really know where we’re going and the current is carrying us anyways. If you want to look at the stars, look at the stars.”

“But-”

“No buts unless they’re juicy butts,” he said with a wink, “Now come on, stare at the sky for a minute,” Remus said, trying not to focus too much on how it felt like his heart migrated to where his and Logan’s hands were connected.

Logan huffed, but after a minute, he let himself look at the sky. His legs floated gently upward until he was floating on his back.

“It, the stars aren’t in their actual positions,” Logan started.

“I mean, it is a dream.”

“True,” Logan said, then smiled, a soft pink curve against a sea of blue, “But it is rather beautiful.”

Logan's dark brown hair softly waved in the water, framing his face and catching the light. The hundreds of stars reflected in his glasses and his eyes.

“Yeah,” Remus breathed, totally, 100% looking at the sky, “beautiful.”

They stared in silence, letting the water rock them back and forth. Every so often, a school of fish would spiral and swim above them, but for the most part they had a clear view of the starry sky. Remus wondered if Logan noticed that they were still pretty much holding hands. He wondered why he hadn’t said anything about it.

Logan pointed up, “Ohh, there’s Polaris, the North Star and the 45th brightest star in the sky,” he said, then pointed to another one, “and there’s Aldebaran!”

Logan continued pointing out stars and listing off different facts about them. True, it wasn’t his usual topic of interest, but Remus couldn’t help but get sucked into it by the sheer force of Logan’s enthusiasm.

“Is that a constellation?” Remus asked, pointing to the stars Logan had just listed off. Logan nodded.

“Yes, that’s the Taurus constellation, though it seems to have a few extra stars near it.”

Remus stretched.

“Huh. Thomas is a Taurus,” he said.

Logan nodded, “Well, yes in terms of his astrological sun sign which is a bit of a unfounded topic but-” Logan stopped, shifting upwards.

“Thomas is a Taurus,” he said.

Remus titled his head.

“Yeah? That’s what I just-”

“No, Remus, look!”

Logan outlined the shape of the extra stars in the constellation, they almost looked like-

“It’s an arrow!” Remus exclaimed.

“We are looking for Thomas, so,”

“We just need to follow the arrow from his constellation!” Remus finished.

The arrow was pointing just to the right of them. Remus and Logan switched course and began swimming, quickly now that they had a direction to go in. After passing through a few reefs and a short run in with the octopus again (who had brought a friend and seemed to want to play toss with Remus), they arrived. Right under the arrow was a glowing blue cave adorned with a silver bull on the sides.

“I’d say this is the place,” Remus said, noting that the entrance shimmered like holographic film, just like the ‘dream portals’ they had gone through before. They swam through.

And immediately fell.


	9. The Dream of the Raging Bull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!  
> Thank you so much for all your lovely comments last chapter 😭😭 and thank you so much for reading! Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

Logan was thankful that, though they had fallen quite a number of times since beginning of this journey, he had always landed on something rather soft or sturdy. First it was a cloud, then a flower, now-

Logan looked up. Wavy brown hair with a shock of white as well as a pair of warm brown and emerald eyes filled his vision.

Ah. The duke had caught him. Easily too, by the looks of it.

Logan cleared his throat. He could have simply asked to be let down, but his voice wasn’t functioning properly at the moment for some strange reason.

“Ah!” Remus said, then let Logan down, “sorry.”

Logan straightened his tie, “No need for apologies,” Logan said, glad his voice was back, “thank you for catching me.”

Remus nudged Logan with his elbow, “Guess you fell for me, huh?” he said. Logan frowned.

“No? We both fell at the same time. When we went through the cave entrance?” Logan leaned forwards, checking Remus’s pupils for dilation, “It happened only moments ago. Did you perhaps have a head injury?”

Remus groaned and pushed Logan’s head away, mumbling something that sounded like ‘never mind.’

Logan titled his head, but decided not to pursue the matter. He looked around.

The new dream seemed to be some sort of cave environment. Cracks in the walls leaked out silver light, and water dripped from the stalactites on the ceiling. Warm air came in waves from behind Logan and Logan turned around to ascertain the source.

When he did, he nearly jumped. Not because he was scared, of course. Just…startled. Anyone would be if they came face to face with what looked like a 10-foot red-eyed bull with canines where its incisors should be.

“Uh, Remus?” Logan said. Remus turned to where Logan was standing and paled.

“Shit,” he said softly, “Ah, _la vache_ , um, it’s ok Logan, just. No sudden movements, back away slowly.”

Logan did, eyeing the bull and thinking of the octopus and the sea life they had just encountered.

“Perhaps it’s friendly?” he asked.

The bull reared back and let out an ear shattering roar before charging at Logan.

“I’ll take that as a no!” Remus yelled, grabbed Logan by the collar and tossed him down the cave, taking his place.

 _MOOOOO!_ Roared the bull as he jammed a horn towards Remus. Instead of dodging, Remus caught it with his arms, hefted himself up with one arm, and brought down his mace. The bone shattered apart and Remus held up the horn triumphantly.

“Remus!” Logan yelled, “Remus get out of there!”

But the duke ignored Logan. He threw the horn, ducked under the bull’s legs, ran to the other side, and waved.

“C’mon ya big, dumb cow! You don’t want the nerd, he’s all skin and bones,” Remus wiggled his butt at it, “I’m a much juicier meal!”

“Remus!” Logan screamed. Not scared though. Definitely not scared.

The bull charged at Remus, but he sidestepped the horn easily. The bull, however, was a bit smarter this time and used its front leg to kick Remus into the wall. Remus fell to the ground, just barely rolling away from the bull’s next charge.

Dammit. Logan couldn’t just sit there and watch. But it’s not like there was a riddle this time. Just a giant, monster with insane brute strength. There wasn’t much Logan _could_ do.

_“Dammit!”_

Logan’s head whipped up.

The bull had managed to pin Remus’s shirt with its remaining horn and was about the clamp down on his shoulder with its teeth.

“ _Remus!”_ Logan screamed. The detached horn was still lying next to his feet and Logan grabbed it and ran towards the bull.

“What are you doing you dumbass!” Remus yelled, trying to pull free.

“That’s what I should be asking you!” Logan yelled.

“Just run away, Logan! Go find Thomas!”

Logan didn’t even dignify that with an answer. Instead, he located the bull’s underarm, a location full of nerves, and plunged the horn into it.

_MOOOOOO!_

The bull wailed, throwing its head back and releasing Remus who dropped to the ground. Logan spun around and kicked the horn deeper into the beast who vibrated, just like the owl had, and disappeared in a shimmer of silver.

Logan breathed heavily, staring at where the bull had disappeared for a moment, before rushing to Remus’s side.

Remus was leaning heavily on the wall as he used it to pick himself up. Logan went under his other arm and helped him.

“Are you ok?” he asked.

Remus groaned, cracked his back, and patted himself down.

“Yeah, I think so” he rubbed where his shoulder had been jammed against the wall, “It’s gonna hurt in the morning though for sure.”

Logan sighed, relieved.

Then marched up to Remus and jabbed a finger at his chest.

“Uhh, Logan?” Remus asked and Logan let all of his fury shine through his expression.

“Remus, I will not repeat myself again. We are both needed to help Thomas in this quest, what were you thinking?”

Remus shifted, “I mean-”

“Clearly you weren’t,” Logan finished for him and Remus glared.

“I was _thinking_ that there’s no way _you_ could have taken on a 3 ton bull!”

“Well I did, didn’t I?”

“Only because I distracted it!’

“You nearly getting impaled was a distraction?!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“It worked didn’t it?!”

“UGH,” Logan groaned, throwing his hands up in the air and pacing in a circle, “You’re improbable!”

Remus squinted, “Don’t you mean impossible?”

Logan put his hands on his hips, “No, if you were impossible you wouldn’t exist.”

Remus rolled his eyes, “It’s a saying, Logan.”

“Whatever! _I’m_ saying,” Logan started and jabbed a finger at Remus again, “That we both need to make it back to reality. Both of us. So don’t,” Logan’s voice had started shaking and he swallowed a few times, “do not _ever_ pull a stunt like that again. Got it?”

“But-”

“ _GOT. IT?”_

Remus gulped.

“Sure, yeah. Ok.”

Logan narrowed his eyes. It wasn’t a convincing confirmation, but it would have to do for now.

“Good,” he said, patting himself a bit and looking around for an indication of which direction they should go next. Remus rubbed his head and also began to look as an uncomfortable silence hung between the two of them.

“Logan?” Remus asked.

“What?” Logan snapped.

“Are you mad?”

Logan didn’t answer for a beat. The question was so innocently posed that he almost felt his anger get snuffed out. Almost. He turned to face Remus.

“I am upset, yes,” he said, eyes softening a bit when the duke looked almost downcast at his response. Logan turned around.

“I’m upset because you, a perfectly capable side, insist on throwing himself at danger at any given instant. Upset that you, a part of Thomas just like the rest of us, seem to insist on thinking of yourself as lesser. It’s-,”

_Infuriating?_

_Terrifying?_

_Heartbreaking?_

“-Aggravating,” Logan settled on.

Logan turned back to Remus who was now poking holes in the cave wall with the bull’s horn which, strangely, hadn’t vanished with the bull.

“Well, it’s not really my job to be pleasant,” Remus grumbled.

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Logan said. Remus laughed.

“It doesn’t matter what you _meant_ Logan, because you’re wrong.”

Logan’s eyes narrowed at that. He didn’t like being laughed at. He certainly didn’t like being told he was wrong.

“I am not.”

“You are,” Remus insisted, pointing at Logan, “Thomas needs _you_ to function. Patton to feel. Virgil to stay safe. Janus to take care of himself.”

“And he needs you and Roman for his creativity.”

Remus jammed the horn deeper into the wall.

“No. He needs _Roman_ for his creativity. I’m just an off shoot. A reject. Nightmares come true.”

Logan sighed. Remus was shoving the horn deeper, rocks and debris falling on his hands as he did so, and Logan stopped his by placing a hand on top of his. Remus’s eyebrows shot up and he looked at Logan.

“Remus,” he said, “Like I’ve said before. Just as Roman is more than just Thomas’s creativity or Janus is just deceit, you too contribute more than you give yourself credit for. You’re his impulse, his spontaneity, a piece of his imagination, you even contribute to his understanding of abstract concepts like death and religion.”

Logan looked up, his voice catching a little when he realized how close they were, but continuing anyways, “You _are_ just as important as any of us. I’m not saying that as an opinion. I say it as a fact,” he smiled, “got it?”

Remus swallowed and looked away.

“Got it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference for this chapter:  
> Remus says 'la vache' which, literally means 'the cow' in French, though it's used as a slang term close to how English speakers use 'damn' !


	10. The Dream of Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus's POV  
> Notes: nyctophobia, hyperventilation, drowning, descriptions of disturbing imagery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO WONDERFUL READERS  
> 💖💖💖💖💖💖  
> thank you so much for all your support/ comments/ kudos! Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

_Holy shit holy shit holyshitsholyshit-_

Remus’s face was on fire. Not literal fire. Might as well be literal fire though with third degree burns ripping apart his face and boiling his eyeballs and-

Remus shook his head, trying to calm his racing heart. Tried not to think about Logan’s ~~hot~~ graceful outline as he brought down a monster bull with its own horn, tried not to think about how Logan had seemed so angry, _so_ angry not at him, but _for_ him, tried not to think about his kind words or his big, dark blue eyes, or how their hands were still touching or any of that because no-

Absolutely not-

He was not going to fall for Logan.

Logic and chaos just didn’t mix.

“Remus?” Logan called. Remus took a deep breath and turned back around, hoping to every god there was that his blush had gone down.

“Yeah, specs?”

Dammit, even his name calling was starting to sound fond.

“Look!” Logan said, his eyes shining, as if the stars they had looked at before were somehow captured in his pupils.

_Whoa. Whoa there Remus, starting to sound a bit like a certain annoying brother there._

Remus ignored his inner dialogue and looked towards where Logan was pointing, at the base of the bull horn.

A phrase was written there in elegant, silver scrawl. Logan read it out loud.

“In the Dark

It’s Easy to See

Break Down your Walls

Genesis 1:3 ?”

Remus looked at Logan who shrugged.

“Perhaps-”

But Logan couldn’t finish. The cave began to rumble around them. The wind picked up and the silver light from the cracks in the cave wall shone brightly and wafted out, surrounding Logan and condensing.

“What the hell is it now?” Remus groaned, trying to reach Logan, but getting pushed back by the wind.

“It seems to be some sort of trap!” Logan yelled over the wind.

“No shit, Sherlock!”

Logan blinked a few times before blushing bright red. Remus almost got swept back by the winds at the sight. He mentally added ‘Sherlock’ to his list of Logan nicknames.

The light was concentrating around Logan now, forming a cube around him and suddenly going pitch black. The cracks in the walls were gone. The winds died down and Remus was left in the cave with a dark cube.

“Logan?” Remus called, knocking on the cube, “You in there?”

Silence. Remus felt his heart drop down to the ground.

Then, a tiny sound. So soft that Remus almost missed it.

“Remus?”

Remus nearly keeled over from relief.

“Logan, what’s happening in there? Are you ok?”

A pause.

“It’s dark.”

Remus rolled his eyes. Inside the pitch black cube was dark. Who could have guessed?

“I kinda figured that, but is there anything else?”

A longer pause, some shuffling.

“It’s really dark.”

Remus’s eyes narrowed. Logan’s voice was so…so small. But it seemed like, besides being dark, the cube wasn’t really much of threat unless-

“Oh come on,” Remus said, trying to keep his voice light, “Don’t tell me you’re scared of the dark, specs. I thought you couldn’t feel fear?”

Logan didn’t say anything for a minute. Then-

“Fe-fear of the dark is an evolutionary adaptation that humans possess from the time before technology made them super predators and-and figuratively being in the dark means to be in a state of ignorance and though this situation is rather literal I-”

Logan continued to ramble for a while before Remus realized that Logan had never denied Remus’s question. Remus gritted his teeth. Solving the riddle would probably be what frees Logan. Remus ran through the riddle in his head again.

“Remus?”

What was the last part? Genesis 1:3? Ugh, it’d been a while since he thought about Bible passages.

“ _Remus_! Remus are you there?!” Logan asked, his frantic voice shaking Remus out of his thoughts.

“Yes! Sorry, yeah, I’m here.”

Logan’s breath hitched, Remus could hear his shaky breaths from inside the cube.

“Don’t worry,” Remus said softly, touching the wall of the cube, “I won’t leave you.”

Remus wasn’t sure how reassuring that could be, but the breathing evened out and Remus felt himself relax a bit.

“Promise?”

Remus squeezed his eyes shut. He wished there was just another monster he could fight. He would fight a hundred monsters if it meant never hearing Logan sound so scared again.

“Promise,” Remus said, “Now we just need to figure out this stupid riddle and then we’ll get you out of there.”

Remus sat cross legged in front of the cube.

“Genesis 1:3, right?” Logan asked. Remus nodded, remembered that Logan couldn’t see him, and hummed instead.

“It’s the part where God’s creating the world. ‘Let there be light’ and all that jazz.”

“Well. I certainly want light,” Logan grumbled. Remus laughed.

“Right, but that’s not exactly a helpful passage.”

“I’m surprised you know it.”

Remus started to shrug, remembered again that Logan couldn’t see him, but shrugged anyways.

“Yeah well, it’s just one of the random things I know off the top of my head.”

“You have a bible passage on your head?”

Remus paused. He could almost imagine Logan titling his head, tiny, confused frown on his face. It made him burst out laughing.

“Oh specs, you’re,” _adorable,_ “a card.”

“I’m a metaphysical human being. A card is a piece of thick, stiff paper used for writing or printing.”

Remus didn’t try to explain. He did wonder, though, when Logan’s tendency to take things too literally had gone from annoying to endearing. Remus groaned. He was not doing a good job of this whole ‘don’t fall for Logan’ thing.

“Remus?” Logan asked when Remus groaned again.

“It’s nothing, specs.”

“No, Remus!”

Remus got up at Logan’s tone. He narrowed his eyes. There was a sound that wasn’t there before. The sound of something rushing around.

“There, there seems to be something happening. I- I believe my enclosure is being filled with water.”

Logan’s words were clipped, but his voice had taken on its frantic tone again.

 _Shit_.

“Shit, shit, ok we just need to solve the riddle faster!”

_In the Dark_

_It’s Easy to See_

_Break Down Your Walls_

_Genesis 1:3_

“Any ideas Logan?” Remus yelled.

“I don’t-Remus I can’t-!”

Logan’s voice cut out with a gurgle.

“Oh _FUCK_ this,” Remus yelled and grabbed his mace, banging it against the cube. The cube didn’t budge.

“Logan are you still there?!”

No answer, Remus slammed the cube again with no effect.

“Logan!”

There was a soft sound, desperate banging from inside the cube.

Nothing was working. No amount of hitting or kicking or smashing was getting the damn cube open. Remus screamed in frustration. How was it that they just came from an entire freaking _ocean_ and this is where they had to worry about drowning?

Remus put his ear to the cube, but he could only hear thrashing from inside. Logan couldn’t breathe or speak or laugh or-

Remus slammed his mace into the cave wall, not feeling better, but a bit satisfied when the wall crumbled. Because that’s all he was good for. Breaking things. Remus dug his mace out of the wall and winced when silver light came pouring out of the crack. Remus shielded his eyes in annoyance, then paused.

Hold up.

Remus grinned. He _was_ good at breaking things. Damn good at it.

Remus held up his mace and hit the cave wall again. Silver light poured from the cracks, but hadn’t quite reached the cube yet. Remus ran up to the wall just in front of the cube and lifted his hand.

He’d break down some walls, alright.

“And the Duke said, let there be light!” he screamed and slammed down onto the rock. Light burst forwards and Remus whipped around to see the cube shimmering and disintegrating. Logan stumbled out coughing, hair plastered to his forehead and clothes soaked. His legs buckled and Remus caught him before he hit the ground.

Remus tried to peel Logan back, make sure he was ok, but Logan just buried himself in Remus’s chest, shoulders shaking violently.

“It’s ok, Logan,” Remus murmured, “It’s ok, you’re safe.”

Remus stopped trying to push him back and just held on to him, pushing back his hair and rubbing small circles in his shoulder with his thumb.

They stayed like that, not moving when the cave around them shifted. Not moving even when the floor became a holographic film and they were transported away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References for this chapter  
> A card is a slang word for a funny person :)


	11. The Dream of the Forest of Dimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's POV  
> Notes: short descriptions of the dark/ drowning in the beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!  
> Guess whose online classes started up again (ahahahahaplshelp) if you're currently in classes or about to go to classes, I wish you all the luck! We can do this!!
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading! Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

Logan hated the dark.

He didn’t care how childish or silly or juvenile that may have been because it was dark. Too dark. So dark that Logan was completely vulnerable, couldn’t see any possible threats, and couldn’t analyze what was around him. The world had been masked in a Stygian haze and he hadn’t the tools nor the ability to navigate it.

But Remus’s voice was there. He could listen to that. Ground himself to it.

But then, cold pressure built up around him before he could realize what was happening. The water was nothing like the calming lull of the ocean they had been. It was frigid and angry and Logan couldn’t _breathe_. He flailed out blindly, his fist hitting what felt like a wall. Logan hit at it again, but of course it didn’t give.

He opened his mouth and the air rushed out of him in frantic bubbles. His eyelids were fluttering and his ribs straining.

Suddenly, before Logan could let the darkness permeate his brain, his surroundings burst open and the first thing Logan could see was Remus, bathed in silver light, holding his mace back and reaching towards him.

And in that moment, Logan stopped caring about appearances. He just collapsed into Remus, letting the other side hold him with the same gentleness that had surprised him before.

When his head cleared a little from its initial panic, Logan took a deep breath in, gratified that he had at least controlled his emotions enough not to stain the Remus’s clothes with something as frivolous as tears. He looked around.

Their setting had changed again, indicating that Remus must have solved the riddle. Of course he did. Remus was intelligent, far more so than any of them gave him credit for. And he was surprisingly kind and gentle and when Logan looked up he could make out the sharp turn of his jaw.

“Logan?” Remus asked softly, emerald-brown eyes burning with concern and suddenly, Logan’s cheeks went red. He rocked backwards and cleared his throat.

“Are you ok?”

Logan nodded and took a small step back from the other side, almost regretting it when the arms that had encircled him fell away. He looked around again.

They were in what looked to be a dense forest, but everything was a silvery-grey. The tree trunks, the ground, the low-hanging fog, even the leaves.

“I think we’re getting close,” Remus said. Logan turned around and arched an eyebrow.

“I can,” Remus waved a hand in front of him, “I can sense something…off. I think Thomas is close. Not this dream, but maybe the next. I can definitely feel him getting more and more disturbed.”

Remus licked his finger and held it up, then pointed. Logan nodded and the two of them started walking.

The wind whistled eerily and there was no wildlife to be found. The leaves under their feet clinked strangely and, looking more closely, Logan realized that they weren’t leaves, but dimes. Logan squinted, they covered the forest ground so densely that it was difficult to see the actual floor. Logan was about to kneel down and inspect further, when a sudden weight on his shoulder made him jump.

“Sorry!” Remus said, putting his hands up, “It’s just,” he scratched the back of his neck, “You’ve been awfully quiet, specs. Are you sure you’re ok?”

Oh.

Had he been worrying Remus? That certainly had not been his intention. Logan cleared his throat.

“Yes, I’m just a bit shaken, I suppose. But I’m fine,” he turned, “you did save me after all.”

Remus turned an interesting shade of red as he scratched at his nose.

“Yeah, well. Couldn’t risk losing you.”  
Logan blinked, eyes wide as Remus spluttered and stumbled back.

“I MEAN,” Remus coughed into his elbow, still backing up, “you- you are Thomas’s logic and all and we don’t know what would happen if we get hurt in here since none of us have really been to the dreamscape before and-”

Remus let out a yelp. While walking backwards, he had stepped on a hole in the ground and sunk down into a pile of dimes. Logan ran forwards.

“Are you ok?!”

Remus grumbled, the only part of him visible being his waist up.

“Yeah, yeah,” he shifted, “Kinda wish I could get swallowed whole though,” he muttered the last part into his shoulder.

Logan stared for a moment before surprising himself by giggling. He knew that he should be more concerned about Remus’s current predicament, but seeing him pouting, half of him in the ground, was a ridiculous sight. Logan laughed again.

Funny, how much he was doing that recently. Funny, how much he seemed to enjoy Remus’s company. Perhaps, when they got back to reality, Logan could ask Remus to join him for coffee or tea. They could have a proper conversation with a less…stressful environment.

“Laugh it up, specs,” Remus called, face a bit red, “now would you help me out of here?”

Logan trotted forwards, careful not to fall in, grabbed hold of Remus’s arms, and pulled.

The landed square on his rear end.

Logan tried again, with not much success.

“You seem to be properly stuck in what looks to be a literal money sink,” Logan observed.

“No kidding, Sherlock.”

The nickname sent a tingle down Logan’s spine and he turned to fan his face. What a strange reaction.

“I’ll try and find something to get you out,” Logan said and began looking around. A long branch would give them some nice leverage, but the ground was covered only in dimes. Logan looked up. The branches of the trees were high rising, the lowest ones being around 25 feet up. Logan squinted, something caught his eye. In the forest of greys, something dark brown and blue hung from one of the branches. Was that-?

“My backpack!” Logan cried and ran to the base of the tree. How it got there from the first dream they had been in, Logan wasn’t sure, but it was certain to have something that they could use.

Logan hummed. He tried to rock the tree trunk, but it stood resolutely in the ground. There were no footholds or branches he could reach either. Climbing would be difficult. Logan jogged back to Remus.

“Do you think it would be possible for you to give me your sash?” he asked Remus. Remus titled his head a bit, but reached back, wiggled, and produced the bright green sash. Logan went back to the tree.

“What are ya thinking?” Remus called from behind him. Logan buzzed his lips. The sash didn’t go all the way around the tree trunk. He untied his necktie and knotted it with the sash which produced an adequate amount of length. He untucked his shirt so he could get better reach and looped the material around the trunk.

“I’m fashioning a makeshift harness,” Logan explained, hefting himself up.

“Like Mulan?” Remus asked.

“Like Mulan,” Logan confirmed, grunting as he placed his feet against the trunk and continued jumping up.

It was silent for a moment. The only sounds were the eerie wind and Logan’s grunts of effort. Logan could feel Remus’s eyes on him, but for some reason he didn’t mind. Logan huffed, lifting his arm and wiping the sweat from his brow when he finally reached the first branch. Logan felt the hem of his shirt rise up with the motion and there was a small, squeaking sound from below. Logan looked down to see a scarlet-faced Remus staring at him.

“Just-just be careful, specs!” Remus called when Logan made eye contact. Logan gave him a thumbs up, rubbed his wrists, and tilted neck back. The backpack was about three branches above him. Logan put one leg on the first branch, then threw his makeshift harness at the branch above his back pack so that it looped around. He tied a knot and climbed the rope, landing neatly on the target branch.

Logan shimmied forward and reached out, smiling when his hand was able to grab the strap of his bag. He pulled it closer to him.

_CRAACKKK_

Oh. That wasn’t a good sound.

“Logan!” Remus cried and Logan furrowed his brows.

“Remus! Put your hand up!”

“What? Why?!”

“Just do it!” Logan said, reaching into his bag, grabbing a certain device, and slinging the rest of the pack onto his shoulder.

_CRAAKKKKK!_

Before the branch could come down with Logan, he pointed his device, a sleek, black grappling hook, at another tree and fired. 

The branch came down and Logan swung, grabbing Remus’s outstretched hand. As Logan had predicted, the momentum was enough to pull Remus out and the two of them sailed through the air.

“WOOHOO!” Remus cried and did a small flip before landing. Logan detached his grappling hook and put it back in his bag.

“That was awesome, specs!” Remus cried, then poked his bag, “what else ya got in there?”

Logan smiled at the praise and pushed his glasses up his nose, “Well, I did tell you that it was prepared for most scenarios. There’s food, water, and other assorted tools.”

Remus raised an eyebrow, about to say something when he stopped.

“Huh,” Remus said. Logan walked to where he was and followed his gaze.

They had landed in a clearing and, in front of them, was a large, gaping hole. Logan peered down. It went on for quite a bit, but at the bottom there was the shimmery, holographic film that indicated the portal to the next dream.

“Well, that was certainly easier than expected,” Logan said.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the ground began rumbling violently. The dimes clattered around them, causing their feet to sink into the ground. Remus groaned.

“Spoke too soon.”


	12. The Dream of the Silver Serpent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus's POV
> 
> Remus breaks a promise-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to split this chapter in two (if you read it, you can probably guess where the split would have gone), but I thought that was probably too mean ;)
> 
> Thank you all so much for your lovely comment, kudos, and support! Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

Remus loved chaos. He did! Making things harder than they needed to be was his jam, but even he reached a certain limit.

The ground was still shaking violently and, from, it, rose a silver-eyed serpent, as big as the clearing itself. The dimes fell off of it like mini-sliver water falls, though some seemed to float in place. Remus squinted, realizing that the dimes _were_ the serpent’s scales.

The serpent looked down at the two of them, fangs sharpened to a point. Logan began to rifle through his bag, but the serpent lunged and buried its fangs just in front of where he and Remus were standing.

“Whoa!” Remus yelled. The serpent reared back, returning to its position of just watching them.

After a few minutes passed, Remus got bored.

“Hey snakey, can I call you snakey?” Remus started, gaining confidence when the serpent only stared at him, “Listen. We, uh, we know a half-cousin of yours! Yeah, also a snake! Scales, slit-pupils, the whole deal! So how’s about you let us jump into that hole over there, and we’ll send over some brownies at the next family reunion?”

Logan frowned, “I doubt that Janus and this snake are relat-”

“Not now, Lo!” Remus said. Normally, he’d just swing his mace over his head and beat the serpent, but it wasn’t an option when both he and Logan were stuck to the ground.

The serpent put its head on the ground, its eye still so high that Remus had to crane his neck.

“ _One ssstaysss. One goessss. Pay the toll to complete the whole.”_

When Remus got back to reality, he was banning Thomas from ever reading another riddle or puzzle book.

Although.

Although this didn’t sound like much of a riddle.

The ground under them shook and Logan and Remus’s feet were released, though Remus had a feeling that they’d get skewered by those fangs if they both tried to make a break for the hole.

“ _Choossssse,”_ hissed the serpent.

Logan tilted his head, “Hm. Another riddle. Complete the whole, perhaps its talking about Thomas.”

Remus blanched.

It wasn’t a riddle. ‘One stays one goes’? The meaning was clear as day. It was an ultimatum, though by the looks of it, Logan hadn’t figured that out. Only one of them could make it to Thomas, and it was damn clear who it should be.

“Hey specs?”

Logan hummed, still concentrating on the riddle that didn’t exist.

“Thank you. For, for all that stuff you said about me being important. And about how you think I’m just as important as all the other sides.”  
  


Logan looked up, brows furrowed, “It wasn’t something I thought, Remus, it’s true. And you’re welcome, but shouldn’t we be focused on the problem at hand?”

Remus shook his head.

“I already solved it.”

Logan’s eyes brightened. It made Remus both incredibly happy and sad to see how much faith Logan put in him. The fact that Logan didn’t even question how _Remus_ of all people could solve something.

“Well what’s the answer?” he asked and Remus smiled.

“You.”

Before Logan could say anything, Remus charged and pushed Logan backwards into the hole. The serpent watched before lunging forwards and knocking Remus to the ground. Its fang grazed Remus’s arms, but Remus barely noticed. He unhooked his mace and rammed it against the tooth. Just because he was staying behind didn’t mean he wasn’t going to go down fighting.

Remus grinned wildly as the serpent screeched. Remus side stepped another lunge and raked his weapon along the serpent’s body. Its dime scales scraped back and, for a minute, Remus could actually see himself winning and maybe jumping after Logan. But then, the ground shook again and the dimes on the ground flew up the serpent’s body and replaced its wounds.

It coiled and, before Remus could realize it, used its tail to sweep him back. Remus slammed against a tree trunk with a grunt.

“You know! The snake I know has much better manners!” Remus yelled. The serpent threw its head into the tree, bringing it down with laughable ease and pinning Remus’s leg down under its trunk.

 _“One ssstaysss. One goessss,”_ it hissed angrily.

“I already chose you overgrown worm!” Remus grunted and threw his mace, hitting the monster directly in the eye. It shook its head and Remus used the distraction to dig himself out from under the tree. He only got a few feet before his legs got stuck in the ground again and he fell backwards.

_“Choossssse.”_

Remus flipped it the bird.

The snake sneered and bared its fangs, but there was nothing that Remus could do to stop it this time. He kept his eyes opened, though. If he was going to be impaled, he at least wanted to savor the gory details before he died. Or whatever was the equivalent for death for the sides.

“CHEW ON THIS, BITCH!” came a scream from Remus’s side. Remus tried to turn around, but there was a sudden _Clang!_ And he was instantly showered with hundreds of dimes bursting in the air, falling around the clearing and into the hole.

When the dimes were finished falling, the serpent was nowhere to be seen. Where it had been, a harpoon stood, glittering.

Remus turned.

“Logan?”

Logan stood at the edge of the hole, panting. His backpack was on the ground, next to him. He held his grappling hook in one hand and a harpoon gun in the other.

“You- you packed a gun?” Remus asked, starting to get up.

Logan marched towards him and shoved him back down. His back hit the fallen tree trunk and Logan grabbed his lapels.

“REMUS WHAT THE HELL?!” he screamed.

“Logan-” Remus started, but Logan didn’t let him continue.

“I told you we both had to get to Thomas, I- I told you!”

“I know you did,” Remus said, trying to push Logan back. Not for his sake, but because he could feel Logan’s hands shaking even as they were balled up in fists. Remus stared at where the serpent used to be. If he hadn’t shoved Logan away, the serpent definitely would have gotten to both of them. Then again, Remus glanced at the hole where most of the dimes fell, it seemed as if they had literally paid their ‘toll’.

So it was a half riddle. Remus still hated it fully.

“I know,” Remus started again, “but I had to choose between the two of us or-”

“You left me alone,” Logan whispered angrily. Remus’s eyes widened.

“No, I-”

“You promised you wouldn’t! You _promised_.”

“But, Logan,” Remus said, frantically wanting to calm the other side whose breathing was only getting more and more uneven, “I mean, if we had to sacrifice one, between the two of us, it was a…a logical choice!”

“Falsehood!” Logan yelled, voice straining, “Stop that! Stop, stop saying such sad things so casually!”

“But!” Remus was trying to use Logan’s ‘reasoning’, confused why it wasn’t working, “really! No one will care if _I’m_ gone!”

Logan stopped, staring at Remus with those big, beautiful, dark blue eyes and for a moment, Remus thought that his reasoning had worked.

That thought shattered when a whimper escaped Logan’s lips, the sound so quiet but filling the entire clearing at the same time. His chin trembled and he gasped for air as the tears traced their way down his cheeks, landing onto Remus’s shirt.

Remus watched in stunned silence. Not even being plunged in darkness and nearly _dying_ made Logan cry. Remus brought his hands to Logan’s face, desperately but gently trying to wipe the tears away. It only made Logan cry harder.

“Hey, no no, hey don’t, don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”

Logan just leaned his face into Remus’s chest, shoulders still trembling. Remus patted his head awkwardly, unsure what to do. All he knew with sudden but fierce certainty was that he hated Logan crying. Hated how sad he looked, how quiet he was, how the silver tears glistened as they caught in his eyelashes.

Logan pushed himself back and Remus was distantly aware that a). he was pretty much in Remus’s lap and b). it should be illegal to be _that_ pretty while crying.

“How are you so smart, but so stupid?” Logan asked after a minute, cradling Remus’s hand to his cheek. Remus wasn’t sure how to respond so he only shrugged.

“I’ll care,” Logan croaked out, swallowed, and started again, “You taught me that it’s ok to laugh and you listen when I ramble and-and _I’ll_ care if you’re gone,” he sniffed, face crumpling again.

“Ok! Ok, Logan, ok. I’m sorry, I-” Remus said. He was completely out of his element, he just wanted Logan to stop looking so sad. It made his heart tug in places he had forgotten about.

“And I know Thomas is still not too keen on your presence, but he was the same to Virgil! And to Janus! And, and Patton may still be terrified of you but,”

Remus winced. Logan caught it and groaned. He squeezed his eyes shut.

“I’m not good with emotions, Remus. But I know that _I_ care about you. You’re brilliant and fascinating and gentle and I just don’t _understand_ ,” Logan ripped a hand through his hair and Remus winced at the force of it, “why you can’t see that.”

“I’ll make sure Thomas learns your importance. I don’t care if I have to lecture him for three hours so just,” he looked up, eyes brimming with water and steel, “just, until I can do that, please, _please_ let me be enough.”

Oh.

Oh Remus really was an entire dumbass wasn’t he?

All this time of thinking no one cared about him when here someone was crying. For _him_. All that time of trying not to fall for Logan when he had already fallen _hard_.

“Logan,” Remus said, hand still on the other’s cheek, startled at how thin his voice was, but feeling lighter than he ever had, “Logan, you’re more than enough.”

Remus leaned forwards before he could stop himself. Before he could talk himself out of it, Logan surged up and closed the distance. His lips were just as soft as they looked and a contented hum came from the back of Remus’s throat. Logan looped his hands around Remus’s neck. Remus pulled them closer together, ignoring how his own cheeks had somehow become just as wet as Logan’s.


	13. Dream of Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's POV  
> Notes: descriptions of nightmares, spiders, mentions of blood, descriptions of injury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say 🥺 all of you are really great 🥺🥺 Reading your comments everyday never fails to put a smile on my face so thank you so much for making my days brighter 🌟
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter ;)

Logan was still furious. Despite that, he let a giggle bubble out of him because he had just learned something new about himself and learning new things always made him giddy.

He liked kissing.

He _really_ like Remus.

And he really liked kissing Remus.

Logan pulled away and giggled again. The sound used to annoy him, but the way Remus’s face softened at the sound of it made him want to do it more.

“And what are you so giggly about?” Remus asked, fond smile on his face as he pushed some of Logan’s hair behind his ear.

“I really like you,” Logan said. It was an obvious fact. One did not usually kiss someone they did not like. Despite the evident statement, Remus turned bright red at it. Logan learned another thing: he really liked making Remus blush.

“Oh, uh, I, you-well-me,too-I” Remus coughed and brought up his hand to scratch the back of his neck, but winced at the motion. Logan frowned, catching sight of a dark stain on the duke’s sleeve.

Logan’s eyes widened and he jumped back.

“Remus, your arm!”

Remus blinked then inspected the cut on his bicep.

Logan scrambled for his bag and brought it over to where Remus was sitting.

“It’s really not that bad of a cut, specs,” Remus said. Logan shook his head.

“Proper wound care is the best preventative measure against infection or complications.”

Remus hummed, watching as Logan pulled out bandages, ointment, sprays, gauze, and scissors.

“What, did you pack the whole hospital?” Remus joked. Logan shushed him and cut open a hole in Remus’s sleeve so he could better see the cut.

“Only the essentials, small sting,” he warned, spraying the wound. Remus barely even flinched.

“Maybe you could kiss it better?” Remus said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“I doubt that will contribute to the healing process. Plus, it may be a gateway to infection.”

Remus groaned and pouted. Logan finished cleaning. Despite the bleeding, the cut itself was mercifully shallow, not going deep enough to tear the muscle significantly. Logan put some antibiotic ointment around the edges and began wrapping it. A hiss from Remus caught his attention.

“A…a little too tight there, Lo.”

Logan yelped a quick apology and set to work with rewrapping, trying not to let the nickname fluster him.

Another thing he learned about himself: he really liked when Remus called him nicknames.

When Logan was done wrapping Remus’s arm, Remus stretched and got up. Logan put his supplies back in his bag then got up as well.

“One more thing,” Logan said. He leaned forwards and lightly kissed a spot next to the bandage, making sure not to go near where the wound really was, “because you think it may help.”

Remus sputtered, the blush lighting up his features. Logan choose not to comment on it. Instead he took Remus’s uninjured hand and led him to the edge of the hole.

“Ready to jump?” he asked. Remus raised an eyebrow.

“What? Not going to dip your toe in first?”

Logan rolled his eyes, pulled Remus close, and jumped.

It was a risky move, sure. But, taking into account their past encounters, they had always landed on something soft before, and what’s a little risk when Remus was whooping giddily as they fell?

They passed through the film. Logan wondered what new, unique, fantastic environment they’d land in next.

Remus landed on a tan carpet. He caught Logan, as if Logan weighed less than air, and set him down. Logan blinked.

They were in Thomas’s bedroom.

Thomas was in his bed, eyes open, but not moving. Remus titled his head.

“Did, did we accidentally leave the dreamscape somehow?” he asked. Logan was about to answer, but jumped back when the room around them flickered. Suddenly they were on a rock in the middle of boiling, indigo lava, Thomas’s bed was the only thing that stayed the same. And then, the room flicked again and they were back in Thomas’s room.

“So that’s a no,” Remus said. Logan nodded and the two of them walked up to Thomas’s bed.

“Thomas?” Logan said and Thomas turned his head with great effort.

“Oh, hey-hey there Logan. You made it.”

Thomas tried to lift his arms, but it was as if they were held down by lead weights. Thomas grimaced. The room flickered again and this time they were on the surface of the moon. An oversized centipede noticed the trio, screeched, and lunged forwards before the room flicked again and returned to normal.

Logan glanced down at Thomas.

“Thomas, are you aware that you’re in a dream?”

Thomas frowned.

“Kind-kinda? It’s kinda hard to tell when we’re just in my bedroom.”

Logan hummed. This must be why it was so difficult for Thomas to get out of his dream. In such a familiar environment, it can be difficult to separate reality and dreaming. Of course, the constant flickering of the dream environments confirmed that they were still, in fact, in Thomas’s dreamscape.

“Thomas, can you look at your hands and tell me how many fingers you see?”

This was a common technique that cued lucid dreamers out of their dreams. Hands often didn’t fully form in dreams, or extra fingers may be tacked on. Other techniques included pinching one’s nose to see if they could still breathe.

Thomas squirmed a bit, then shook his head a little desperately.

“I can’t move, Logan.”

The room had stopped flickering. Small things were still off. Thomas’s clock didn’t change. His lights were much dimmer than they were in real life. The posters he had taken down from middle school were still hanging on his walls. But there was nothing that Logan could point out as a discrepancy with reality aside from Thomas’s troubling paralysis.

Logan felt a hand at his shoulder.

“Logan? What’s wrong?” Remus asked, his tone void of any accusation, but his brows deeply furrowed. Logan gulped.

“I- I’m afraid I’m unable to shake Thomas out of this dream.”

Logan understood now, though, why the dreams unsettled Thomas so much. It was different from sleep paralysis, but very close as a concept. He was awake in a dream he couldn’t control, unable to tell if this was reality or not with no indication when, if, or how he could wake up. The dream was too life-like. He couldn’t logic his way out.

Logan blinked.

“I might not be able to get Thomas out,” Logan muttered, turning to Remus, “but- but perhaps _you_ can!”

“Wha-”

“The dream is too close to reality, the passing dream flickers too short, there isn’t enough to shake Thomas into waking up.”

Remus shook his head, “So he needs something to convince him that he’s in a dream? But, Logan I can’t conjure anything in here.”

Logan was pacing now, touching the walls as if they could flicker at any moment.

“No. But just like I am able to influence the dreamscape with logic, you will be able to influence it with your creativity!”

Remus shifted uncomfortably, “Won’t that just scare him more?”

Logan nodded, resolute, “Sometimes, a good scare is exactly what is needed.”

Remus’s eyes shone wide. Logan smiled softly at him.

“Go on, save Thomas. I know you can do it.”

With that, Remus turned to Thomas’s room with a grin.

“It _would_ be pretty funny if that lamp turned into a spider and began crawling up the wall.”

For a moment, nothing happened.

The, slowly, with yawning patience, a blood-red eye popped open on the shades. It didn’t turn into a normal spider, persay. It only continued spawning more and more eyeballs until the thing was covered, bleeding with them. The bottom of the shade fizzled and tittered into one long, hairy spider leg and it crawled frantically around the room.

Thomas paled.

“That’s,-”

“Not possible,” Logan said strongly, wanting Thomas to focus on the improbability more than the terror.

“And that clock looks a little slow, maybe we should speed things up!”

The clock shimmered and suddenly began dripping like liquid, the mirror image of a Salvador Dali painting. Personally, Logan preferred geometric art, but he still held an appreciation for the impressionist.

The clock dripped like hot wax. Its clock hands stretched and became actual hands, bony, rough, skin sagging and wrist bones shining through, clattering around each other. In the back of his mind, Logan remembered what Remus had said about details being terrifying.

“Ho-holy shit,” Thomas breathed, struggling to sit up, but managing to push himself back. Logan smiled, it was working. The more Thomas could recognize the dream as a dream, the more control he would have over his lucid self.

Remus twirled around the room, laughing in delight as his thoughts twisted and came to life. Thomas’s doors folded in on themselves, dripping and spurting with bloody pus. The walls tore themselves open from phantom claws and out of the tears crawled dark blue nerves that writhed like snakes.

Thomas was fully sitting up now and Logan grabbed him by the shoulders.

“None of this is real Thomas. You know that. You’re dreaming. None of this can be real so now all you need to do is wake up.”

Thomas looked like he was trying to blink. He tried again, this time succeeding in blinking hard.

His room had dissolved. The field below them was teeming with bees and ants and worms and beetles and ladybugs.

“Thomas, _wake up. WAKE UP!”_

Thomas let out a guttural cry and the world around them went black.


	14. Dream of the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus's POV

Remus giggled, slightly unhinged. The last time he had felt this good about creating was-well-

He couldn’t remember!

Thomas was letting him create, completely unfettered, and those creations came to life with delightful little twists of their own. The thoughts and images bubbled at Remus’s fingertips and he spun around in a dizzy haze.

Behind him, Logan was yelling at Thomas to wake up, his voice calm, steady, and not at all scared. If it had been just a day ago, Remus would have been offended. He took pride in being able to scare people, and he was sure that if Logan didn’t know who was controlling the creations, he would be scared. The thought only made Remus’s chest swell with happiness.

And then, the room around them clapped and there was a darkness so vast that it was almost bright. Usually, Remus reveled in the darkness, the secrets it could hide, but he felt his heart stutter.

Where was Logan?

Then, another flash and Logan and Remus were sitting at the floor of Thomas’s bed. Instantly, Logan reached for Remus’s hand and Remus was happy to provide. He looked up to where Thomas sat bolt upright, panting.

“This is real,” Thomas said, holding his head in his hands for a moment before shooting up to turn on the lights, “this is real. This is real.”

Logan nodded, patiently guiding Thomas through a reality check until Thomas calmed down enough to sit on his bed again. Thomas looked at Remus and Remus, loathe as he was to admit it, couldn’t help but flinch.

Was Thomas mad at him? He did just produce one hell of a nightmare and, not that he wasn’t proud of his work, Thomas surely didn’t enjoy the experience.

Thomas took a deep breath in. Ah. Yeah, he was definitely mad. Or scared. Maybe both. Probably both.

“Thank you, Remus.”

Oh.

Remus had not been expecting that.

Logan sat up on Thomas’s bed and put a hand on his shoulder.

“How are you feeling, Thomas?”

Thomas tilted his head up and buzzed his lips.

“Freaked. But…better. A bit. I think…I think I know what I can do if I ever get stuck like that again.”

Logan nodded, “It seems like the first thing you were trying to control was your own body. But if that fails, try and create something that will convince you that you’re dreaming. Additionally, you may benefit from keeping a dream journal as well. Perhaps then, the small inconsistencies in even your more life-like dreams will alert you to your dream state.”

Thomas hummed in agreement.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I’ll do that. Thank you,” he looked between them, “both of you.”

Remus couldn’t think of anything to say back, a rare occurrence for him. Logan only smiled and took Remus’s hand.

“We’ll leave you to settle down for now, Thomas. Go back to sleep when you feel ready and remember,” he looked at Remus, “not to fear your own mind.”

Remus squeezed Logan’s hand, still speechless as they sunk into the common room of the mindscape.

“Well it took you two long enough!”

Remus blinked.

Patton was sitting up in an armchair, Virgil sat criss-crossed on the floor, tapping away at his phone, and Roman and Janus were sprawled together on the sofa.

“Wha- everyone? What are you all doing? Why aren’t you asleep?” Logan asked, freeing his hand from Remus’s to tap his chin.

“Well, we certainly weren’t worried when you took so long to get back,” Janus said, yawning and getting up from where he was using Roman’s chest as a makeshift pillow. Roman got up as well and huffed.

“I mean, really. Now, tell us,” he said, eyes shining, “how was it? What happened? Oh, was it a grand adventure?!”

Logan squinted, “It’s a rather lengthy account.”

Remus laughed, “Well, the abridged version is: we fought the Duolingo owl, rescued a rooster, swam around a bit, nearly got eaten a few times and oh!” he turned to Janus, “we met your cousin.”

Janus frowned, “I don’t have a cousin.”

“Yeah, not anymore. Logan shot it with a harpoon.”

“Logan did _what_?” Virgil yelled, “How, where did you even, why-”

Patton chuckled, patting Virgil’s shoulder.

“C’mon, kiddo. They just got back. Don’t…harp-on them too much.”

Logan let out a laugh at that, Remus felt his heart melt in his chest.

Then frowned at the sudden silence. He looked up.

“Did, did you just laugh at my pun?” Patton asked, aghast.

Logan shrugged, still smiling, “It was clever.”

Patton squealed so hard he choked. Virgil shielded his eyes.

“Geez, teach, put that thing away. It’s so bright, you could weaponize it.”

Logan tilted his head, innocently blinking behind his glasses, “Weaponize what?”

“That smile,” Janus said, and Remus noticed that everyone had a faint blush on their face, “I think we can agree that we all just became a little gayer for Logan.”

Remus huffed jealously and Roman huffed indignantly. Janus rolled his eyes and snuggled closer to Roman.

“Don’t worry. I shall always be the gayest for you, my prince.”

The royal nickname sent Roman into a blushing panic. Logan tilted his head at the sight.

“Yes. Worry not, Roman. I’m currently dating your brother.”

Roman huffed, “Yes, well. Very goo-wait _wHAT_?”

“Aaand we’re capping it at that. Details in the morning, for now let’s all _please_ go to bed,” Virgil said with a groan and dragged himself upstairs.

“Wait! No! I refuse to wait any longer! What are the details of your adventure? How did you fight the mighty Duolingo owl?” Roman asked, resisting when Janus began to drag him backwards, “And a romance? Perhaps blooming in the throes of danger? I must knowwww!” Roman moaned as Janus succeeded in pulling him upstairs.

“Tell us at breakfast, kiddos. I’ll make some pancakes,” Patton said, winking at Logan before hesitating a bit and looking at Remus, “and, uh, I’ll bring some deodorant?”

Remus grinned, “Pancakes are fine, I’ll bring my own deodorant.”

Patton, bless his heart, tried to contain a shiver and went upstairs as well.

Remus stretched, then turned to Logan and wiggled his eyebrows.

“So we’re dating now, are we?” he asked, delighting in how Logan squeaked and rubbed at his nose.

“Ah. I suppose we didn’t exactly talk about that. Only if it pleases you…your grace.”

Your grace.

Your grace.

 _Your grace_.

Remus could practically feel the steam rising from his face. He looked at Logan who was watching on in amusement. Cheeky bastard knew exactly what he was doing! Well, two could play at that game.

“Oh, it does so please me,” Remus said, grabbing Logan by the waist and twirling him around, “ _Detective_ Sanders.”

Logan squeaked, letting Remus twirl him. That’s right. He wouldn’t lose a flirting match, absolutely not-

Logan leaned up on his toes, “Then, I suppose we’re dating, your highness.”

Remus nodded pompously, “Yes, yes I suppose we-!”

Logan cut him off with a kiss and Remus felt himself melt into it.

Ah, well-so he lost one flirting match. They pulled apart and Remus twirled Logan around again.

And they may have stayed there until the morning came, laughing, blushing, and flirting, if Virgil hadn’t stormed back downstairs and hollered at them to go to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few months ago, I decided to write a story. I had no idea if anyone would read it, in fact the idea of someone reading it and not liking it almost held me back. But then, something crazy happened. People read it. People liked it! And they were so kind and sweet and genuine in their comments and in their support that it just made me want to write more and more!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. Seriously, you all have given me so much motivation and inspiration in these past months and I’m so, SO grateful!
> 
> On that note (warning for a self plug): Are you itching for some more Roman angst (I’m sorry, I just really like the Prince ok?)? Do you want more creativitwin sibling dynamic content? If so, check out my next fic: Swallow your Pride !
> 
> And, of course, thank you so so much for reading THIS story. Until next time ;)


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